Etymology of ‘Catholic’
The phrase Catholic (katholikos from katholou – definition ‘throughout the entire, universal’) occurs in the Greek classics, e.g., in Aristotle and Polybius, and got freely employed by the earlier Christian writers.
Etymology & roots of ‘The Catholic Church’
The language “the Catholic Church” (he katholike ekklesia) is located the very first time in page of St. Ignatius towards Smyrnaeans, discussing the entire year 110. The text operated:
Wheresoever the bishop shall come, there allow folks become, although in which Jesus is likely to be, there is the worldwide [katholike] Church.
However, in view associated with perspective, some variation of opinion prevails as to what accurate meaning of italicized phrase, and Kattenbusch, the Protestant teacher of theology at Giessen, try ready to interpret this original looks of term in the same way of mia mone, the “one and only” chapel [Das apostolische Symbolum (1900), II, 922].
Out of this opportunity forward the technical signification of this phrase Catholic satisfies us with increasing frequency both eastern and western, until of the start of last century it seems getting almost totally supplanted the ancient and more general meaning. The earlier examples happen obtained by Caspari (Quellen zur Geschichte des Taufsymbols, etc., III, 149 sqq.). Most of them still acknowledge this is “universal”. The resource (c. 155) to “the bishop for the catholic church in Smyrna” (page on the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, xvi), a phrase which always presupposes a more technical use of the term, is due, some critics thought, to interpolation. Alternatively this good sense definitely starts over and over again during the Muratorian Fragment (c. 180), in which, for instance, it is stated of specific heretical writings they “shouldn’t be received from inside the Catholic Church”.
A little later on, Clement of Alexandria talks very obviously. “We say”, he declares, “that in both material plus in seeming, throughout source and in development, the ancient and Catholic Church could be the singular, agreeing whilst really does when you look at the unity of 1 belief” (Stromata, VII, xvii; P. Continue reading “Catholicism background / Beliefs of Catholic Religion / The Catholic chapel”